overplayed ≠ overrated
there needs to be a distinction between overrated and overplayed. just because something is overplayed, it doesn't necessarily mean it's overrated.
i'm a huge fan of arctic monkeys. one of their songs, 505, 'blew up' on tiktok a while ago, and featured on random tiktok videos- essentially becoming a tiktok song. and while i do think it is overplayed, is most certainly isn't overrated. it's a beautiful song, and deserves to be loved (maybe not on tiktok trending level, but still).
i don't see this sentiment being echoed among many other people. the general idea (in my mind) is that anything that is popular isn't great for 'hardcore' fans. this really isn't always the case, the popular stuff could be good too!
[another arctic monkeys example is their most popular album, AM. if you say it's your favourite album to 'devoted' fans, you won't be taken seriously. so liking something popular = scorn from other fans.]
two main thoughts from this:
- something can be popular while still being really good. while i am, admittedly, someone who isn't a fan of 'trending' stuff, i do agree that there are exceptions.
- like whatever you like without other people's opinions. not everyone likes the same things, and not everyone will agree with you. i think this is also linked to the idea of 'fandoms' (which i'm not going to get into because i haven't been religiously devoted to any- no hate!). but i feel like sometimes we should take a step back and make sure we're not using other people's opinions to validate our love and enjoyment for something. and if we do take opinions, they should come from people we trust or respect, and not random strangers on the internet ;)
so at the end of the day, something may be popular and still amazing. and if you love it, that's the most important thing